Michael Botu's Blog

"Turning to the presidential contest, Tinubu disclosed that he does not like President Obasanjo because he contributed to the end of democracy in Nigeria during his tenure as a military president and is now benefiting from that history. That said, Tinubu admitted that he and his party, the Alliance for Democracy, must support Obasanjo. Southwest Nigeria is Yorubaland and the President is Yoruba. Tinubu"s party had no choice since it has not fielded a presidential candidate. Moreover, Obasanjo is the only candidate who stands a chance of blocking his rival, General Muhammadu Buhari, whose ethnocentrism would jeopardize Nigeria's national unity. Buhari and his ilk are agents of destabilization who would be far worse than Obasanjo. Tinubu and many other governors are therefore implementing a strategy to re-elect Obasanjo, partly in an effort to prevent Sharia from spreading. Tinubu predicted that the President will follow his own course, if re-elected, since he will ...

“Ethnicity doesn’t influence my reason for supporting Buhari. Nigeria’s biggest problem today is Boko Haram. Before, it was militancy and a lot of Nigerians felt that somebody from that area should be president. So, it would be better now for somebody from the north who understands the issues around that area to be president. The fight against Boko Haram has been ineffective and General Buhari has the effectiveness to deal with it”. ~ Chief Timipre Sylva, Former Governor of Bayelsa State  The Above quote is credited to the Former Governor of Bayelsa State Chief Timipre Sylva. If Chief Sylva actually said that, it shows that he is either blinded by ambition or he lacks understanding of History. But then again, we are a people that surfers from Selective Amnesia.  I have nothing against Chief Timipre Sylva and or his belonging to the opposition APC - we must not all belong to the same Party - But we must Play our Politics in such a way that we can have a Plan B...

Buhari: When Facts Become ‘Contrived…’ By Shaka Momodu It is not my desire to join issues or engage any of my  colleagues in an open debate in the media. This article should therefore be seen as an exception. After reading Waziri Adio’s article on the back page of THISDAY 15th December titled,  “Is This, Finally, The Buhari Moment?”  I came to the inescapable conclusion that there were obvious gaps that needed to be filled. For the records, Mr Adio was spot on and I largely agree with the analysis except for the phrase ‘contrived handicaps’ which is suggestive of falsehood sold as truth. I therefore find the urge to correct some misrepresentations too strong to resist. It is particularly expedient to fill the missing years between 1984 (about 30 years) ago when Buhari entered the consciousness of Nigerians with those immortal and awe inspiring words which Waziri heralded his article,  “This generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no co...

"It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself." ~  Charles Darwin "Sir, your weakness is not in your past impeccable record of accountability of public wealth and the fight against corruption and indiscipline. Your weakness is in your inability to control men compounded further by your strict and obsessive rejection of corruption." ~ Po pular Islamic scholar, Dr. Ahmad Gumi In An Open Letter to Buhari. It seems Dr. Ahmed Gumi was not entirely correct to have said Buhari has an impeccable record of accountability of public wealth. And contrary to all  pretensions  the APC flag bearer is not a saint and is actually a sectional leader, who favoured the North when he held sway as the executive Chairman of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund PTF. I have tak...

“The Crimes of Buhari” – By Prof. Wole Soyinka I read this piece in Osun defender and can't resist the urge to share it with you, it's a lengthy Piece but it has all the trappings of ventage Prof. Wole Soyinka. Enjoy it; ON BUHARI'S INABILITY TO CHANGE AND ARROGANCE: The grounds on which General Buhari is being promoted as the alternative choice are not only shaky, but pitifully naive. History matters. Records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory, but to operate as guides to the future. Of course, we know that human beings change. What the claims of personality change or transformation impose on us is a rigorous inspection of the evidence, not wishful speculation or behind-the- scenes assurances. Public offence, crimes against a polity, must be answered in the public space, not in caucuses of bargaining. In Buhari, we have been offered no evidence of the sheerest prospect of change. On the contrary, all evident suggests that this is ...

It's official RT. HON. ROTIMI CHIBUIKE AMAECHI the executive Governor of Rivers State is NOT the Vice Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC. This had prompted a flurry of comments but one by ETHELBERT MBAMA caught my attention so I have reproduced it below:  There have been many surprises in this year's primaries and choices, but the biggest that will have a lasting effect is that of Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi. He is not smart, period!!! I like the guy for one thing, he may be brash but he says his mind, but when it got into his head, he lost control and didn't have a plan B. Check out Rochas, he had plan B, he even went after the big seat and got some decent votes. Amaechi like Atiku, ended up empty. Unfortunately, Atiku is better off because he was smart in his utterances, but Amaechi was abusive, insulting, etc. he even committed Treason when he dared about Parallel Government, his present immunity is what saved him. T...

NOW THAT BUHARI IS  RUNNING  AGAIN: The stage is set, well almost, the APC is still shopping for a deputy for its flag bearer General Muhammadu Buhari. What is certain however is that Buhari will be running against Goodluck Jonathan for the second time and the for the fourth time in a row (he thinks he is the Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria), GMB has contested against all Presidents in the present Democratic dispensation, OBJ, Yar'dua and GEJ. After the 2011 elections it was a tearful and emotional Buhari that bid active politics goodbye and many thought the man with the iron clad integrity will never return to active politics but then even Integrity too has a Price. So GMB is in the race again and unless elections are conducted and won on social media GMB supporters should not be surprised if he fails again. Some posers for GMB Cheerleaders; who convinced Buhari to run again against his will? What was he promised? Are there some agreements reached? Soon breeze go blow...

Delta EPZ and matters arising my take is on justice, equity and fairness – Tompolo So much has been said about the $16 Billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) which is meant to galvanize Nigeria’s economic growth through adequate gas processing and supply, using our dear Delta State as the hub. For one, I am happy as a Deltan that this laudable project is being planned and nurtured in my time, especially on the heels of our fight for the need by government to industrialize and enhance our economic well-being in the oil-rich Niger Delta Region. Nonetheless, I am not persuaded by the nebulous and loudly-echoed ‘economic and industrial gains’ slogan being orchestrated by some forces hiding under the EPZ Project to re-launch a back-door move for the acquisition of lands belonging to the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. In this regard, I stand on the side of my people as I have always done, to ensure that the voice of reason was r...

THIS IS NOT DR. EMMANUEL EWETA UDUAGHAN "It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory, when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your Leadership." ~ Nelson Mandela ABDUCTION NOT KIDNAPPING The twist and turns following the cancellation of the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Contentious $16 Billion EPZ Project is making interesting reading and attracting a lot of comments but the reality is that we are on the brink of another full scale crisis in Warri South – West Local Government Area in Delta State. I read Mr. Emma Amaize the Regional Editor, South-South of the Vanguard Newspapers detailed account of the events surrounding the abduction of 14 Journalist and some Youths by Ijaw Youths from Oporoza Community or ex militants as some reports called them or hooligans as Mr. Emma Amaize will rather classify them. The action of the Youths and the...

EPZ PR0JECT IN JEOPARDY “The way and manner Governor Uduaghan was handling the issues (EPZ Project) could re-ignite the Warri inter-ethnic crisis.” ~ Newton Mala May 10, 2014 “The elders, community leaders and parties to the dispute over the location and ground-breaking event for the Gas Industrial Revolution Park who have resorted to threats and accusations of partisanship against the President in press conferences and paid adverts in newspapers are therefore being most unfair to him and doing a great disservice to continuing efforts to forge greater national unity and peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians. ~ Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) November 17, 2014 PREAMBLE: It’s doubtful if we will ever overcome the “We vs Them” syndrome, it’s part of the colonial  relics  that we have absorbed, imbibed and has been  ingrained  in our consciousness so strong that generations who never witnessed colo...